Property owners to clean up site

The owners of 555 Wade Ave. East will clean up their property as per the city's wishes. The site is also up for sale.

(SHANNON QUESNEL /InfoTel Multimedia)

September 04, 2013 - 2:21 PM

PENTICTON - Council's message of not tolerating messy properties was heard loud and clear at Tuesday's council meeting.

Real estate agent Rick Appleton says the owners of 555 Wade Ave. East, Ming Leung and Shun Yi Chen, will clean the site. The property was one of two on the city's hit list with the other being 363 Churchill Ave.

Both spots show disuse with the Churchill home having junk and loose boards littering the front and scattered trash bags in the back. The Wade site has boarded-up windows, graffiti and overgrown weeds.

"I put in on the market today," Appleton says. "I told them it has to be cleaned up."

Deputy mayor Wesley Hopkin says he was happy to hear this.

Tuesday's council meeting was also when the owners of 363 Churchill Ave. could have addressed the city but no one stepped forward.

"How long is the neighbourhood going to have to wait before action is actually taken?" Coun. John Vassilaki asks.

Development director Anthony Haddad said the owners will have until the end of September to fix the problem. If nothing is done they can expect a bill from the city when it cleans up the mess.

Coun. Judy Sentes says the Churchill property owner has shown "arrogance and total indifference" to city staff. The last advice was to put out metal garbage cans which was not done.

OPINION Editor, This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior